A Franciscan Blessing

I do not know the origin of this ‘Franciscan’ blessing but it is a good counterbalance to the cosy ‘Francis of the birdbath’ spirituality!

At the heart of Francis’ Gospel vision is delight in the Lord.

However Francis understood most clearly that if our joy in the Lord is to be authentic it must lead to compassion that flowers into action.

May this uncomfortable invocation open us to a more profound Gospel life.

May God bless you with discomfort,
At easy answers, half-truths,
And superficial relationships
So that you may live
Deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger
At injustice, oppression,
And exploitation of people,
So that you may work for
Justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears,
To shed for those who suffer pain,
Rejection, hunger and war,
So that you may reach out your hand
To comfort them and
To turn their pain to joy

And may God bless you
With enough foolishness
To believe that you can
Make a difference in the world,
So that you can do
What others claim cannot be done
To bring justice and kindness
To all our children and the poor.